IPC Scandal: Andriy Sybiha Accuses Committee of Undermining Ukraine's Territorial Integrity
Kyiv • UNN
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha criticized the IPC's decision to ban the Ukrainian team's uniform featuring a map of Ukraine. He called it politically motivated and urged a boycott of the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Paralympic Games.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha sharply reacted to the decision of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to ban the Ukrainian national team from wearing uniforms with a map of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders. This was reported by UNN with reference to the post of the head of the department on the social network X.
Details
According to the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, such a decision is politically motivated and contradicts international law.
The International Paralympic Committee has banned the Ukrainian national team from wearing national uniforms due to the image of the map of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders. There is no moral limit that IPC bureaucrats would not be willing to cross. They are ready to act contrary to UN General Assembly resolutions, the territorial integrity of Ukraine, and international law - just to please Russian war criminals.
The minister emphasized that the IPC's actions effectively ignore UN General Assembly resolutions that confirm Ukraine's territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.
In addition, Sybiha called on the international community and national Paralympic committees to condemn the IPC's decision and consider boycotting the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Paralympic Games.
According to him, it is not only about sports symbols, but about the fundamental principles of international law and the unacceptability of "sportswashing" war crimes.
Context
The scandal surrounding the IPC's decision could have serious reputational consequences for the organization ahead of the 2026 Paralympics and intensify the discussion about the participation of representatives of aggressor states in international competitions.
Recall
The International Paralympic Committee did not allow the Ukrainian national team to use uniforms with a map of Ukraine within the 1991 borders.